The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is moving towards a fall 2020 reopening that incorporates in-person classes in a “flexible hybrid format.”
On Friday, June 5, university officials announced that the UA-Little Rock campus will be open for the fall 2020 semester and that they “hope that students can remain on campus throughout the semester.” However, the university has reportedly prepared to switch to online instruction “immediately if needed.”
“We are excited about welcoming our Trojan family back to campus this fall,” Chancellor Christina Drale said in a statement. “However, the health and safety of our campus community remains our top priority. We are working diligently on contingency plans to prepare for continuing public health developments.”
Many fall classes have been converted into a “hybrid learning format,” according to a UA-Little Rock news release. This format is expected to allow faculty the freedom of providing in-person class or online meetings depending on student health needs.
To guide the university’s planning and response to COVID-19, UA-Little Rock has created two advisory teams. These teams include the Coronavirus Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the Provost’s Academic COVID-19 Taskforce (PACT). CERT is charged with coordinating COVID-19 emergency response efforts and reopening protocols for student services and business offices, while PACT oversees all academic and student support issues impacted by COVID-19 as well as contingency plans for courses, classrooms, and support.
Residence halls will be open for the fall semester, but capacities will be reduced in many cases to allow for one student per bedroom. Student activities, events and programming are also expected to resume but with limited seating and other social distancing protocols in place.
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